The Evolution of Housing and Roofing in Austin

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The Evolution of Housing and Roofing in Austin

The city of Austin was fully incorporated in 1839. Since then, a variety of house and roofing styles have evolved! From Queen Anne to contemporary, you can find a blend of architectural styles and roofing in Austin. Depending on which area of Austin you’re in, the style of homes will vary vastly. As technologies progress and developers work to make homes more affordable, the landscape of Austin will forever be changing.

Roofing materials have progressed alongside home styles. Clay tiles are one of the oldest forms of roofing and can be seen in Mediterranean and Spanish architecture found all over Austin, particularly around Lake Austin. Asphalt roof shingles have been popular in the area since the 1910s, replacing fire-prone wood shingles. As contemporary and modern homes have gained popularity, the use of metal materials in roofing has significantly grown.

Traditional Styles in Housing and Roofing in Austin

Historically preserved homes are all over the Austin area. The city of Austin makes a special effort to preserve these homes. Older houses and buildings are typically more sustainable, support affordable housing, and help maintain Austin’s cultural history. There are preservation tax incentives and a system for establishing certain homes as historical. These historical homes add architectural diversity to the contemporary styles that are growing in the area. Most historical styles today will have asphalt shingle roofing, but a mix of tile and even metal on remodeled homes can be found. Particular styles of homes can be seen throughout Austin all tracing back to the development and taste of the time period.

Queen-Anne

Victorian architecture was popular in Austin from the mid-nineteenth century until the early twentieth century. Most notable in Austin is the Queen Anne style. The Queen Anne style can be found densely in Hyde Park, but essentially all over Austin. How do you define a Queen Anne-style home? These homes or buildings will typically have a few defining features. These homes have an asymmetrical front facade, an expansive porch with decorative wood trim, and a steep roof with cross gables or large dormers. The Queen Anne style home was the most popular in the United States from 1880 to 1910, just as Austin was getting established. These homes typically had shingle roofs. Shingle roofs during this time were made popular by architects Mckim, Mead and White and Peabody and Stearns. These architects spread the popularity of shingles through their seaside cottages built in Rhode Island.

Craftsman

In the early twentieth century, the Craftsman-style architecture began to emerge. These homes are mostly found in central Austin neighborhoods, built between 1900 through the 1920s. A primary identifying feature of a craftsman-style home is a low-pitched gabled roof and an unenclosed eave overhang. False ornamental beam ends under the gables are almost always included in this style of home and give it a more hand-built appearance.

The low-pitch roof style is a hallmark of the craftsman-style home. This roof exhibits a modest and comfortable feel. Traditionally, these homes had overlapping wood shingles or shakes. However, asphalt shingle is now an acceptable replacement material. Wood shingles are very resistant and fit with the style of the craftsman home, as often this style had wood shake siding.

Bungalow

Bungalow homes are scattered throughout Austin. However, they are more concentrated in South Austin and specifically Bouldin Creek. Bouldin Creek experienced intense growth during the boom of the 1920’s and 1930’s. The bungalow-style home was a cheaper alternative to the ornate Victorian styles of the 20th century. The bungalow is smaller and more affordable than even the craftsman style. Bungalows are one or one and a half stories. They have a pitched roof and front steps leading up to a covered porch or veranda with wide overhangs with rafter tails.

Wood shake shingles were used on the bungalow home, but in the 1920s asphalt shingle was growing in popularity. You can find asphalt shingle roofs on many bungalow homes in Austin. In modern-day, people opt for a variety of roofing materials on their bungalow homes like metal, which is becoming more popular in Austin.

Hill Country

The hill country style home originates from European immigrants to the hill country. These homes are found around the Austin area, spanning from rustic to today’s more hill country contemporary. European craftsmen built these homes, so a primary feature is masonry. Local rock like limestone, is often used. Limestone is typically mixed with wood features like timber siding and beams. The color palette is neutral, blending in with the natural elements of the hill country. This style has now evolved to include contemporary, modern, and Spanish revival elements.

Metal roofing is commonly used on the more traditional hill country homes and the evolved contemporary styles. Homes with a Spanish revival flare can have tile roofing. Metal roofing is commonly used for its durability and low maintenance which is often needed out in the hill country.

Spanish and Mediterranean

If you’ve spent time in Austin, you have seen the Spanish-style architecture scattered around the city. These homes are found along Lake Austin, most notably. Residents who first developed along the lake in the early 1900s were drawn to this style due to its likeness to Lake Como Italy. This style of home focuses on stone and stucco. These homes have feature wide arches, verandas, courtyards, excellent outdoor-indoor flow and have a grandiose style.

The roofs of these homes are composed of barrel tile roofs. Tile roofs have been used for thousands of years and are still used today. Today there are many styles of tile roofs that come in a variety of colors to match any home.

Contemporary

The Austin real estate boom has brought new construction contemporary homes to the city. Contemporary homes range in variety but tend to be sleek and beautiful. These homes are thoughtful and sophisticated and marry new and old styles. As Austin grows, contemporary homes can be found in almost every neighborhood.

Contemporary homes usually have metal roofs. Metal roofing has vastly improved as new roofing technology comes out. Metal roofing comes in a variety of colors and styles to match any home style. It’s durable and can last 50+ years.

Iconic Houses in Austin

There’s an energy of creativity and uniqueness found in Austin, that’s difficult to find in other areas of Texas. Because of this, Austin is home to several iconic houses that reflect the city’s history and contemporary design trends.

The Graeber House

This home was built in the 1920’s and was first a popular watering hole, called The Shamrock Saloon. As Austin began to modernize, this old stone building was forgotten. However, in 1968, it was bought and completely transformed once more. The outside remained the same, but the interior was completely modernized to fit the 1970s interior style. The building is now over 130 years old and is a time capsule of multiple decades.

The BloomHouse

This iconic house was built in the early 1970s by two local Austinites. It has a unique organic shape and was constructed using unusual methods and materials. They used steel rebar coated in layers of polyurethane foam, sculpted with a hand-held pruning saw over a seven-month period, and finished with layers of concrete stucco both inside and out. With all of the layers, this structure is very well-insulated and eco-friendly. This award-winning home took over 11 years to build.

The Annie Residence

This house was built from 2001 to 2003 and is an example of modern architecture that blends indoor and outdoor living. It’s constructed out of a modular steel frame. The frame is infilled with prefab thermal steel panels to minimize construction on-site waste. The design of the house was influenced by different regions in cultures. You can see a blend of Moorish and Asian architecture.

The Bercy Chen Studio’s Edgeland House

Located on a rehabilitated brownfield site, the Edgeland House is a reinterpretation of the Native American Pit House. It’s known for its sharp angular lines and its unique approach to eco-friendly design. The house is designed to be environmentally sustainable through its small footprint and integrated mechanical features. The roof on this house is quite special, as it has an insulated living green roof. The green roof keeps the home cool in the summer and warm in the winter, making the home very energy-efficient.

Impact of Climate on Housing and Roofing in Austin

Austin’s Climate

As you may know, Austin’s climate is hot and humid. In the summers temperatures can get into the 100’s with high humidity, making it even hotter. This climate makes it necessary to have materials and designs that are reflective of heat to keep homes cooler. Light-colored roofs made out of reflective materials, like metal, are very common.

Energy Efficiency

With the intense heat and high energy costs energy efficiency is a priority for most homeowners. Homes tend to feature roofs with good insulation to minimize the need for air conditioning. As seen in the Craftsman and Bungalow style homes, overhangs or eaves are often used to shade windows from direct sunlight.

Rain and Storms

Austin weather consists of the occasional heavy rain and hail storms. Roofs are better designed here for quick drainage. Asphalt shingles and hail-resistant roofs are popular due to the occurrence of serious hail storms.

Local Architectural Styles

The architectural styles previously mentioned have evolved somewhat from Austin’s climate. Wide porches and large windows for ventilation are popular. All of Austin’s homes have come from all over the world, country, but have had to consider this particular climate.

Sustainability

Due to climate change, there is a growing interest in sustainable options in homes. This has sparked the popularity of recycled roofing materials, like metal. The integration of solar roofing, like solar shingles, has increased as well.

Future of Housing and Roofing in Austin

As the city of Austin grows and changes, so do the houses. New construction in Austin is all about affordability and sustainability. New technologies are arising every day to improve the energy efficiency and cost of modern homes. The city of Austin is now focused on density to help create more affordable housing. This means smaller lots and smaller homes. You will see a growing number of duplexes and quadruplexes popping up on lots. In order to make homes more affordable, builders are focused on the speediness of building and getting properties on the market sooner.

Innovations

Recent innovations in 3D printing are coming to Austin. ICON is a 3D software and robotics company that is working in conjunction with Lennar on development in the Austin area. Other developers are focused on maximizing space and are building multiple dwellings on small tracts. Modular housing has become popular nationally and is slowly growing in the Austin area. A company called Bob’s Containers repurposes shipping containers with a starting price point of $50,000.

As the city of Austin grows, you will see housing and roofing technologies develop along the way. While Austin works to preserve historical homes, innovative technologies will surely change the landscape of the city over time.